Seat-actuating means for sanitary closets



June 1927' w. E. CHASTAIN SEAT ACTUATING MEANS FOR SANITARY CLOSETSFiled Sept. s. 1925 INVENTOR.- m 'llzam E. C/mszain 4 ATTORNEY.

? I'll Patented June 21, 1927.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM E. cnAsrAIn, or \VICHITA, KANSAS.

sne'r-Ac'rnarme MEANS FOR SANITARY GLOSETS.

Application filed September 3, 1926. Serial No. 133,464.

My invention relates to a seat actuating means for sanitary closets.

The object of my invention is to raise the seat and lid simultaneouslyby a foot pedal.

A further object of my invention is to close the seat with a foot pedalactuating a mechanism having a recoil spring to obviate the noise whichwould occur by the seat contacting on the bowl of the closet.

These and other objects will hereinafter be more fully explained.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig.1 is a front elevation of a sanitary closet with the actuating meansattached.

Fig. 2 is a transverse view of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed view of the pivotal point and the recoilspring and housing therefor, parts being removed for convenience ofillustration, taken along line IIIIII in Fig. 4.

Fig. 4.- is a plan view of Fig. 3, parts of the crank removed for lackof space.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the foot pedal the bell crank beingshown by dotted lines. 1 v To avoid taking hold of the seat of asanitary closet with the hands, I have provided a mechanism to beoperated by the foot; the

said mechanism consisting of a connecting arm 1 pivotally connected tothe seat as at 2 in close proximity to the rear, or hinge 3 of the seat;the said arm being made in two parts slidably engaging and made rigid bymeans of screws or bolts 4 threadedly engaging in apertures 5.

The opposite end of the said arm is pivotally connected to a bell crank6 having curvatures to accommodate as hereinafter described.

Rigidly attached to the floor near one side of the closet is a pivotbearing 7 for the bell crank, the said bearing having a removable cap 8as securing means for the crank in its bearing. On the side of thebearing and integral therewith is a flange member 9, the said flangebeing rigidly attached to a tube 10 which is inclined longitudinallyfrom the floor.

Positioned ,within the tube is a recoil spring 11 functioning as acushion when the seat is being closed normally. In the end of the tubeis a slot 12 in which the bell crank arm reciprocates coming in contactin its forward movement with the end of thespring as at A. The oppositeend of the spring is supported by a pin engaging in apertures 13 whichis adjusting means for the position of said spring to acquire'propertension in the bell crank; the said apertures being spaced apartlongitudinally with the tube and being in both sides thereofdiametrically so that the pin will have equal bearing to resist thethrust of the spring.

The pedal 14. being formed of a single piece of metal hasan eye 15transversely positioned at the upper end thereof toreceive the returnbend of the bell crank as shown at B in Fig. 1. On the outer edgethereof is a groove 16 formed and functioning as a seat for that portionof the crank shown by dotted lines G in Fig. 5; the lower end of thepedal has a shortbend as at D so that the under side thereof will be ona plane with a curvature of the groove and have equal bearing on thatportion of the bell crank extending across and through the bearing. As are-inforcing means for the lower end of the pedal as at 17 I haveprovided a flange 18 transversely extending therefrom and being integraltherewith. The extreme lower end of the member 17 has a bend anglingfrom the plane thereof as at E to function as stilfening means when themechanism is actuated closing the seat to its normal position on thebowl of the closet.

To operate the mechanism herein disclosed the foot is placed on thepedal as at F pressing the bell crank downward following the arrow G, bywhich action the seat is raised to a vertical position or in contactwith the flush tank 19.

To replace the seat on the bowl the foot is placed on the member 17pressing it downward until the seat tilts forward at which moment theweight thereof will automatically drop to its normal position, andbefore contacting the top of the bowl it will be checked by the spring11 to obviate excess noise when contacting therewith.

Such modifications may be employed as lie within the scope of theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In a seat actuating means for sanitaryclosets, in combination with a seat of a sanitary closet, an armpivotally connected to the closet near the hinged point thereof, theopposite end pivotally connected to the arm of a bell crank, a bellcrank pivotally attached to the floor by the side of the closet, a pedalengaging with the opposite end of the bell crank, so that the endthet'eof will 7 reciprocate on each side of the: fulcrum of the crank, aslotted tube attached to the pivotal bearing so that one-arm of the bellcrank will engage in the slot, a recoil spring positioned in the tubeto: timction. as a cushion for the bell crank adjustable snpportingmeans for the springlongitudinally in the tube, all as, and for thepurpose described; V 22 In etseat actuating means for sanitary closets,in" combination with a sanitary closet, apivot bearing havinga webintegral therewith, a tube attached to the Web, a slot through aportionof the length thereof, a recoil spring: positioned. in theopposite end togexpandtoward and into the slotted portion" as a cushionwhen the said seat of the closet being closed, a plurality-0f apertweeinthe. opposite end of the tube ftom po site end pivotally connected tothe seat of i the closet, meansgfor adjusting the length of said arm, afoot pedaland an eye in the endthereof a groove along one edge ofthepedal, the groove and the eye functioning as" a seat: for theoppositeend;ofthe bell crank, an extension member of the pedal:

across the fulcrum point of the bell crank as means for rocking saidcrank to close" the seat of the closet, the oppositeend as means forraising the seat therefrom;

WILLIAME. omtsrmnt;

